FAQ

Does it play music?

No, and it will not. 9xLyrics has no library, no player and no account with any music service. It reads what your computer is already playing and puts the words on screen.

Which players work?

Anything your operating system knows about — Spotify, Apple Music, VLC, a browser tab, a local file in whatever you open it with. The test is simple: if your keyboard's play/pause key controls it, 9xLyrics can usually see it. See Players and detection.

Do I need an account?

You need a number. Not an email address, not a password — a twelve-digit UID created in one click. See Your UID and devices.

Is it free?

Yes, with limits. A free account gets Floating Lyrics, the full Lyrics Window, automatic lyrics, both timing controls, the tray, shortcuts and launch at login. Pro adds the other three overlays, choosing lyrics yourself, artwork behind the words, sharing and translation. Creating a UID in the app starts a 3-day trial of everything. Free and Pro has the full split.

What happens when my licence ends?

Nothing is deleted and nothing is forgotten. The account returns to the free tier; every Pro setting you chose stays saved and comes back if you pay later, including lyrics you pinned to a song.

Where do the lyrics come from?

From several lyric sources, matched by title, artist and length. Your own .lrc files are checked first and beat all of them.

Why does a song have no lyrics?

Because no source has synced lyrics for it. That is more common with new releases, remixes, live versions, classical and instrumental music. Searching manually finds a fair share of them — a (Remastered 2011) in the title is often the whole problem.

Can I fix a wrong match?

Yes. Wrong lyrics? in the Lyrics Window searches every source; the result you pick is pinned to that song for every future play. It is a Pro feature; the automatic match is free.

How many overlays can I run?

Free: one. Pro: all of them, together if you want.

Will it get in the way of what I am doing?

Floating Lyrics and the Edge Strip never take focus, and clicks fall straight through Floating Lyrics into the window behind. The Mini Bar and Widget take clicks — they have buttons — but never focus.

Does it work offline?

For a song it already knows, yes. Lyrics are cached, and a licence is not re-checked against the network to keep working: a laptop off the network for a week opens and works. New songs need the network to look their lyrics up.

Is there a mobile or browser version?

No. It reads what your computer is playing, which is not something a phone app or a browser extension can do.

Which features are macOS only?

Two: the lyric on the lock screen, and text in the menu bar. Both pages say so.

Does it upload what I listen to?

No. Detection is local. Looking up lyrics sends the song's title, artist and length to the lyric sources — that is what a lookup is — and nothing else goes anywhere. See Privacy.

Can I use one licence on my laptop and my desktop?

Yes, up to the device limit. Settings are per machine, so each can show different things.

How do I quit it?

Tray › Quit 9xLyrics. Closing the Settings window only closes the window — the app goes on watching, which is the point of it.